Chapter 11 – A Most Profitable Profession
The Frasers settled into an uneasy state of affairs.
Fergus, who knew his way around brothels having grown up within them. Madam Elise was used to the children of her prostitutes about during the day and Fergus just seemed to join their number as he moved about the place, helping clean and collecting letters from the Prince.
Lizzy was busy at court, charming the king, and his courtiers. She played cards and even with her ever growing belly, she was interesting being a princess and seemingly being a woman of the world. When she was not there, she was working at the charity hospital, learning and aiding Mother Hildegarde. Jamie was not overly happy at her doing this, but since she seemed to be happier, he allowed it since he had his own plate full.
Jamie was out in the evenings with Prince Charles who was long on rhetoric, but short on specifics. He watched as many flocked to listen to the prince even as he listened, quietly, biding his time.
Murtagh and Jamie spent their afternoons before Jamie left for Maison Elise, working on the Jacobite communications. They were coded, something Jamie was able to figure out, but it took time. They were looking to see if there was an English conspiracy or if that was part of the political game Prince Charles was playing. Was it true or a rouse by a desperate prince to gain funding elsewhere.
Murtagh sat back and stretched a little as he walked to Jamie's side.
"We mist git thae letters back tae th' tavern afore they're missed." Jamie said writing.
"Is that king james' signature at th' bottom?" Murtagh asked looking at a letter Jamie was working on.
"Aye. Ah recognize his haun by noo. Everything else is in code."
Murtagh reached over to get one of the seals that had managed to get off to put back onto the letter he had copied for Jamie to translate. "Th' seal hud bin lifted na less than three times afore ah teuk it aff masell." He said.
"Aye." Jamie said. "We aren't th' ainlie ones interested in jacobite communications 'n' Stuart correspondence ."
Murtagh put some hot wax on the letter and replaced the seal. It looked as though no one had touched it. "Kin ye decode it?" Murtagh asked looking at the paper before Jamie.
"Maist codes ur simple. Forordinar ainlie talking aboot fowk clishmaclaver 'n' sic." Jamie said. "I suppose thay dinnae waant a'body tae ken that yin o' th' sisters is up th' duff by a servant." He said smiling a little up at Murtagh as he flexed his hand. "Ah think ah kin wirk this yin out...when ah kin see straecht that is." He said rubbing a hand over his face and sitting back a moment to close his eyes.
Murtagh lifted a thick letter with several sheets of paper and moved to the alcove where there was a daybed. He laid down and looked at the papers. He turned them to show Jamie. "Whit th' de'il is this?"
"Tis music, ye dolt." Jamie said lifting his quill.
Murtagh rolled his eyes. "Ah ken music whin ah see it." He said in annoyance. "Bit whit's it daein' in a letter?"
Jamie looked up from blowing to dry the ink on a page. "Wis trying tae puzzle that yin oot masell. Th' song o' th' land. Th' lyrics ur o' a bonny day 'n' sic."
"Juist anither code?"
"Mibbie. Ah dinnae think th' code haes anythin' tae dae wi' th' notes."
"Mibbie tis nae a code." Murtagh said setting them down. "Mibbie some prussian mukker o' charles sent him a piece o' music tae enjoy."
"Aye. This message is in prussian, bit 'twas sent fae englain." Jamie said looking at him.
"Ye ken Prussian." Murtagh said.
"Heich prussian aye, bit this haes wurds ah dae nae ken."
"Did ye ask katherine?"
Jamie blew out a breath. "Ah thought aboot it, bit she haes enough she is daein'..."
Murtagh looked at him. "Th' lass wants tae cop wantit ye ken." He said.
Jamie took a breath. "Aye."
Murtagh sighed. "A code in music?"
Jamie blinked. He had not considered that. "Aye."
"Mibbie th'morra ye kin ask aroond fur a music teacher or a...a...composer that kin speak prussian, preferably wee prussian." He said.
Murtagh sat up. "Thare is somebody, bit ye aren't aff tae lik' it."
"Howfur dae ye mean?" Jamie asked raising an eyebrow.
ZzZ
Lizzy was just finishing dressing a wound at the hospital. She was tired and she wiped blood from her hands as she moved to mix herbs to see it healed when a voice came into her thoughts.
Both she and Mother Hildegarde looked up sharply.
"Excusez-Moi." Jamie said softly.
He stood in his kilt and a less formal vest and over jacket. He looked more like a Scot at the moment than he had in some time. His hair was wild about his nape and head like a lion mane.
"Jamie." Lizzy said in surprise. She smiled a little. "What are you doing here?"
"A'm needin' hulp." He said softly stepping forward a little. "Musically speaking." He said.
She arched an eyebrow and looked at Mother Hildegarde who was watching them. "So this is your husband then, Madam?" She asked in English.
"Yes." Lizzy said nodding.
She smiled. "He is more Scottish than I thought." She said in French cocking her head.
Lizzy smiled and nodded.
Jamie stepped closer. "Ye did say that mither hildegarde kens music." He said.
Lizzy nodded. "Can you help him Mother?" She asked.
The Mother Superior took a breath and nodded. "Come with me."
He handed her the paper with the notes. She walked toward a small alcove with Jamie behind her and Lizzy behind them, balancing the baby as she walked along.
"Ah wis hoping...wondering..." He looked back at Lizzy. "If thare wis something odd aboot this music...they wey it's written or something o' th' sort?"
She turned back to him. "Can you assure me that this is neither illegal nor dangerous?"
Jamie looked to his wife.
Lizzy stepped forward. "I can assure you, if my husband is asking, there is a good and important reason for it." She said.
He smiled at her a little as she stood hand on her belly.
Mother Hildegarde nodded appeased at that. She moved and then began to play the music. She played a line and looked up. "That is the basic melody. It then repeats itself in variations." She played more and then paused. "You know. I have seen somethings reminiscent of this." She paused as Jamie shifted closer. "Yes, and old friend from Saxony, Herr Bach, has done work very similar to this."
"Johan Sebastian Bach?" Lizzy asked.
"Yes. I am surprised you have heard of him." Mother Hildegarde said rising to her feet.
"He played for my brother in Potsdam. His music is very...forward thinking." Lizzy said. "Not everyone liked it." She smiled. "He is in Leipzig now I understand." She said looking at Jamie who arched an eyebrow at her.
"But you did."
"Yes. However, it seems to lack a soul or heart."
Mother Hildegarde nodded. "It is not music that will last. He does not have the heart you speak of. He sends me things now and again and they are really quite clever. Clever, but no heart." She dug in some manuscripts and found the one she was looking for. She sat down again. "You music is a clumsy version of this." She played the version of Bach's work. "Goldberg variationen." She said in Prussian.
"Goldberg variations." Lizzy said. "I heard of them." she said listening.
Jamie looked up at her and smiled.
"Now you see here, your mysterious composer has repeated the same melody, but changed the key every time." The Mother said.
Jamie leaned closer. "'n' that is unusual."
"Oh yes. Five changes in such a short peace and some for no reason whatsoever?"
"No musical reason at least." He said lifting it. He smiled. "Thank you, Mother, for your help."
Lizzy smiled at him.
"You are quite welcome, Lord Fraser." The mother said.
"If yer dane wi' mah guidwife, wid ye allow me tae escort her hame?" He asked.
Mother Hildegarde smiled and nodded. "I am sure we can handle things for the night. Thank you, Lady Katherine."
Lizzy dipped her head. "A pleasure mother." She smiled and turned.
Her husband laid his hand on her back and led her to the carriage waiting outside. He helped her in and smiled at her. "Urr ye weel?" He asked.
"Well enough. Thank you." She smiled as the carriage lurched forward.
ZzZ
At the home, Jamie was hard at work translating the code as Murtagh joined them. He looked at the pair as Lizzy moved about excitedly.
"Whit haes ye a' flustered?" Murtagh asked.
She turned to him. "The Key is the key."
"Whit key?" Murtagh asked.
"The musical key. The person who wrote this had a diabolical sense of humor." Lizzy said making a face.
"Och, aye. Diabolical." Murtagh muttered.
Jamie took a breath. "Twa flats means ye tak' ever seicont letter starting at th' oncom o' th' section. Three sharps means ye tak' ilka third letter oncom at th' end." He dipped his quill and was writing quickly as he read.
He stopped and looked up a moment.
Lizzy looked at him. "Well? Does it make sense?"
"Aye." Jamie said lifting it to her. "It does."
"'I have successfully concluded negotiations with our three partners. All of whom are willing to contribute to our cause'." Lizzy read.
"Sae th' English conspirators ur real." Murtagh said.
"Aye." Jamie nodded.
Lizzy continued. "'I can guarantee the amount of forty thousand pounds be made available to you'." She looked up. "Forty thousand pounds..."
"Tis a sizable amount richt enough, bit tis nae enough tae fund an entire war." Jamie said looking at her.
"Sae charles wis lying tae Duveney." Murtagh said.
Jamie waved a hand. "Exaggerating. Duveney is smart enough tae expect some o' that in a business lik' this. Forty thousand kin nae fund th' war, bit it kin be enough tae convince duveney 'n' th' king that th' jacobites hae a chance."
Lizzy walked forward reading, "'I will be back in Paris at the month's end and am eager to finally meet you face to face to solidify our arrangement.' And then it is just signed S." She said looking up.
Jamie had his hand folding on his chest. "Aye Yin letter left ower. A signature ah reckon." He said.
He turned away and Lizzy did too.
"S..." She said.
Jamie then lifted his head and the pair whirled to each other. "Sandringham!" They said together.
"Tis th' duke, a'm sure o' it."
"He left for England the day after I met with him." She said. She stepped to Jamie. "The Duke has had secret dealings with Dougal for years."
"Dougal is a commitit` jacobite." Jamie agreed.
Lizzy took a breath. "He's playing both sides against the middle."
"He kin weel be hedging his bets fur 'n' against a Stuart restoration." He stepped away. "If we kin catch up wi` wi' sandringham, convince him that this is a ill investment..."
Murtagh looked at Lizzy and Lizzy swallowed a bit.
Jamie turned back to his wife. "Ye ken whit this means?" He said coming back. "We figured it oot!" He stepped to his wife and put his hands on her waist and lifted her upwards, swinging her about a moment before hugging her to him. "This calls fur a celebration!" He said putting her from him and walking out of the room calling for the servants.
Murtagh came to Lizzy. "Sandringham, lass. If jamie sits doon wi' him, 'n' his secretary, ye ken whit wull happen." He hissed.
"He will find out Black Jack Randall is still alive." She said slowly. "Oh God..."
"Yi''ll need tae tell him 'n' yi''ll need tae tell him noo." He said as Jamie walked back excitedly carrying a bottle of whisky.
"Ah cannae tell ye howfur guid it feels tae mak' progress." Jamie said coming to them. "Efter fightin' feathers fur sae lang..."
He poured a glass for Lizzy, one for Murtagh, and then one for himself.
"We aye hae problems tae solve." He continued, not noting Lizzy's expression of sudden hopelessness and fear. "Bit we'll solve thaim tae." He said.
He lifted his glass then as Lizzy looked down, unable to meet his eyes.
"Tae mither hildegarde wi'oot wham oor enemies wid remain unknown tae us." He took a step forward, free hand going to his breast over his heart. "Tae mah guidwife wha is aye thare whin a'm needin' her." He said watching Lizzy.
Lizzy took a heavy drink and then shared a look with Murtagh as she swallowed hard. She took a breath and steppe forward.
"Whit's it, Katie?" He asked softly watching her face.
She took a breath and then smiled a little up at him. "I'm just so glad to see you so happy." She lied as she smiled disarmingly.
Murtagh blew out a breath softly.
Jamie smiled and lifted his maimed hand, still in it's wrap to the back of her head as he stepped forward and kissed her soundly. He then pulled her to him to hug her, his face burying in her collarbone as he made a small noise of contentment.
Lizzy looked at Murtagh and then sighed relaxing into his embrace.
Jamie then downed his whisky and moved, dipping down as he set his glass on a table and he lifted Lizzy up in his arms, holding her close as he kissed her again, deeply. He then smiled at Murtagh and then carried his wife away to their bedroom where a servant opened the door for them, but Jamie kicked it shut with his leg and then set his wife down as he moved to undress her. She looked at him, startled, but suddenly eager as well, allowing him his advance as they kissed and undressed each other.
Murtagh had stared after them and then he felt something on his arm. He turned sharply and noted it was Susette. Her fingers were walking up his arm. He smiled a little as she pulled him toward her room. As they passed the master bedroom, the delighted sighs of Lizzy could be heard as Jamie whispered unintelligible words to her in his low voice. It was clear as the servants moved about that the master and mistress would not be leaving their bedroom until morning.
